Research Shows Eating Soy-Based Food May Help Cut Risk Of Breast, Prostate Cancer

You’re about to hear another amazing reason to learn to eat tofu and several delicious ways to make it happen.

Numerous studies show women who regularly eat foods made from soy (such as tofu, tempeh and soy milk) have very low rates of breast cancer. Men who eat soy rarely die from prostate cancer.

Now information emerges suggesting soy-based foods may also reduce menopausal symptoms, including mood swings and hot flashes. In Japan, where women traditionally eat a high-soy diet, hot flashes are so rare there is no word to describe them. Asian women also have far fewer osteoporotic hip fractures than women eating a typical American diet.

Phytoestrogens seem to be the reason. These are weak estrogens found in plants (“phyto” is from the Greek word for plant). Very small amounts reside in about 300 plants such as bean sprouts, red clover, sunflower seeds, rye, wheat, sesame seeds, linseed, carrots, corn, apples, barley and oats.

But head and shoulders above the crowd are soy products, such as tofu, which are packed with phytoestrogens.

During child-bearing years, phytoestrogens prevent breast cancer by competing with naturally occurring estrogens. Although estrogen is essential for reproduction, it can also cause breast cancer.

During menopause, when estrogen production drops by 70 percent, phytoestrogens provide an estrogen “lift” that makes up for the lack of hormones without increasing cancer risk, according to the Tufts University’s Diet & Nutrition Letter.

Numerous studies are going on now to evaluate the effectiveness of soy products in minimizing menopausal symptoms. This is great news for women who want to go naturally through menopause and skip the hormone replacement therapy.

Fortunately, a very small amount - about 2 ounces of tofu a day - seems to be enough to decrease symptoms.

But, I can hear you saying: “Tofu?”

As far as flavor, tofu’s big selling point is that it has none; it happily takes on the taste of any sauce. Crumble it up and mix it in chili or spaghetti sauce and you’ll never know the difference.

You’ll find tofu in the produce section of the grocery store. A halfcup portion (about 4 1/2 ounces) contains 183 calories, 11 grams of fat and 258 milligrams calcium. Some low-fat varieties are now available, too.

Another way to get your tofu is through meat analogues such as Morningstar Farms Deli Franks (120 calories, 7 grams fat) or Green Giant Harvest Burgers.

Do they taste like real hamburgers? Of course not. But on a multigrain English muffin piled high with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles, they make their own statement. For zestier flavor, slather on the Dijon or spicy country mustard.

Or suppose you could get your tofu as a Chocolate Dream Dessert, or a Strawberry Banana Breakfast Shake. Would you give it a try? Mori-Nu, maker of the new, lower calcium but softer textured “silken” tofu, offers these recipes guaranteed to make you a tofu fan.

To get a free copy of a “Lessons in Tofu” brochure with five recipes and a coupon, send a stamped, selfaddressed, business-size envelope to: Nutrition Department, Morinaga Nutritional Foods Inc., 2050 W. 190th St., Suite 110, Torrance, CA 90504. For seven more recipes and a 10-minute videotape, include $4 for shipping and handling.